The Ring
by Leslea
Summary: She had no idea how she stumbled upon it, but she knew James had been hiding something from her. She was just hoping for something a little less… sparkly.


**AN - Hi! I finally finished this after an author on here known as Cassie K forced me to finish something. So here's "The Ring!" Pretty self explanatory but I hope you like it! Reviews are wonderful, like driving with the top down :)**

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She had no idea how she stumbled upon it, but she knew James had been hiding something from her. She was just hoping for something a little less… sparkly.

It was literally huge. The band was platinum and there was three large diamonds, with a large princess cut in the middle. The ring was old fashioned but tasteful, and also large. Very large. With diamonds. It was all becoming so real before her eyes that she couldn't breathe.

It was by accident that she had found it. She and James were staying at his parents for a week, their first full year of dating was approaching and James had just turned nineteen only two months ago and was completing auror training. He wanted to get everything off of his mind, so he brought her to stay with his parents. While outside, teaching Lily how to properly fly a broom, he realized (to his dismay), that he had left his flying gloves in his room. Lily was eager to volunteer, seeing she wanted to look around anyways.

It had been tucked between two pairs of boxers that James kept in the very back of his drawer. Ones that were obviously given to him for Christmas, seeing one pair had holly on them and the other had to be an elder's gift, because they had kittens on them. The ring was in a black velvet box, no bigger than her palm.

She kept teetering the small box open and close, watching the ring catch the light, shimmering on James's navy blue walls.

Marriage. Just the word made Lily's insides turn. She didn't exactly know why; her parents had been happily married for over 20 years, her sister was settling well into marriage with her husband, but for Lily, it seemed like endless restrictions. It was also something she couldn't run away from easily once she was waist deep in her problems.

She wanted to owl Marlene. She wanted to phone her mother. She wanted to ask James what the hell he was thinking. But she didn't. Instead, she slipped the ringer out of the small packaging that kept it sitting upright, and slipped it onto her left ring finger. Of course, the ring was a little big, but with a wave of her wand, it fit perfectly. It also made her hand feel like it was five pounds heavier. She had to admit it was a beautiful setting for a ring; even though she didn't plan on liking it. She actually loved it. She didn't know how James had gotten the ring so right to her personality, but it fit her and molded to her finger. She could feel herself falling deeper until she heard footsteps coming down the hallway. She pulled the ring from her finger and pushed it back into its small case, sticking it under her bum. When the door opened, revealing her disheveled boyfriend, she tried to stay as calm as possible.

"You couldn't find my gloves, could you?" He smirked, pulling the drawer open to his nightstand, pulling out the gloves.

She released a tense laugh. "You know me. Forgetful on directions."

"Or you were snooping…"

"I was _not _snooping! I've never seen your room before, you know!"

He laughed, looking down to her, "That's because it's dirty. I mean, you're sitting on my unmade bed, around all of my dirty clothes, records and my broom polishes are all around. Why would I want to invite my girlfriend into my room?"

"Because I've shared my room with you before." She smirked, "In more ways than just sharing the room."

He let out a shallow laugh, and Lily noticed a change in the atmosphere in the room.

"Well." James started, "We can always stand to make some memories in this room."

Lily smacked him playfully on the arm. "Maybe later, when Sirius or your parents aren't here."

"Sirius isn't here Lily, and neither are my parents. Come on, just something to hold me over until tomorrow night?" James jutted his lower lip at her, and she laughed.

"No! What happens if your parents come back quietly and saunter in here? They're going to think I'm a cheap slag!"

"But a beautiful slag." He laughed, earning him another arm smack from Lily.

"Where is Sirius though? I knew something was missing when we got in earlier."

"He's with Remus. Both he and Peter are."

Lily looked to his face, which was worry stricken. "What's wrong?"

"It's just… it's Remus' first full moon without the four of us there, together. It's different."

"James." Lily began, "You know you're more than welcome to help Remus. I don't mind at all."

"But I mind leaving you here all by yourself." He started, "Besides, Remus said it would be okay if I just stayed here with you. He knows that we don't get a lot of alone time. So does Sirius, hence why he's actually staying there. Plus, Remus' mum makes a delicious omlette in the morning."

"Boys and their food. More concerned about the quality of the food than the gravity of the situation."

"Excuse me, you mean men."

Lily scoffed. "You're nineteen James, you're hardly a man. And don't even get me started on Sirius. He still acts like a toddler."

James let out a puff of air, and Lily released a quiet line of giggles. "Don't sit so high and mighty on your throne, you did some awful things to us back in school."

"Like what, give you detention when I found you sneaking a whole tray full of Halloween's pumpkin pie back into the common room to eat yourselves?"

"Oh please, that pie was amazing! You could've had some too."

"And if you had asked me to join, I probably wouldn't have given you detention."

"But you hated me!"

"Hate, James, is a very strong word. And in 6th year, I actually thought you were kind of funny."

"You're lying."

She shook her head, still giggling. "When you stopped trying to make yourself so available to me, I wanted to know you better. The mystery killed me."

He put his hands on either side of her, leaning closer to her face. "So, does it still kill you?"

She looked into his eyes, and back down to his lips, swallowing slightly. "What?"

"The mystery." He nudged his nose against hers. "Does it kill you?"

Her breath hitched as James's lips hovered over her own. She waited for what it seemed like hours before he gently pressed his lips against her own, earning sighs from both parties. A nice kiss quickly escalated into something more, as Lily pulled James closer into her, moving her lips faster against her own. James's hand slowly moved up her leg, laboring Lily's already airless lungs. When he cupped her bum, she pulled her lips from his, looking into his eyes.

"Are you sure you want to enter that territory?" She joked, breathless.

"Do we even have to ask?" He smirked, and moved his lips to her neck, electing a sigh from her mouth, as he pulled her closer into him. His movements stopped and she heard him cough, almost jumping away from her like she was lava.

She stood up immediately, going to his side. "James, are you alright? Do you not feel well?"

"I don't feel so we-cough-ll anymore." He sputtered. His appearance was flushed, almost like he was embarrassed. Lily looked down. There was nothing on her as far as she could tell. She looked back to the bed and the little black box that had been hiding under her bum had become exposed, resting on the end of the bed. She bit her bottom lip looking back to him, even more flushed than before.

"I, uh, might've snooped a little." She admitted, looking him shyly in the eye. "At first it was just a mess of boxers and clothes, but I wasn't finding anything interesting so I looked in your drawers and that was in there-"

"Yes it was supposed to be hidden." He muttered out, not looking up from the floor.

"Well, it wasn't hidden well enough. It's, um, very pretty James. It's really large also. I don't really know what I'm supposed to say."

"You weren't supposed to find that for a long time, I promise." He looked into her eyes. "I was out one day with my mum and she saw it and said it reminded her of you. I looked and I agreed, but I didn't want it to get away, you know? It's one of a kind and-"

"That's not the reason you bought it, James," She whispered. She saw past him.

"No, it's not. I was by myself when I bought it." He hesitated, looking to her. "Lily, why should we have to wait? The world isn't waiting for us. There's a war going on, and I could be gone tomorrow."

"Don't say that." She choked out. "Please, please don't say that."

He shook his head, continuing. "I didn't buy it because I wanted to rush you. I bought it because I thought we were ready. The way I feel about you isn't something I take lightly. You light up a room with your laughter, you pleased my father and won his affections when you first met him, and let me tell you, that isn't an easy thing to do. Your smile makes other people smile. Lying with you every night is like a dream for me, Lily. Just to be with you every day is a dream. I want that to come true. I just want to be with you forever."

Her eyes pricked with tears, and she wasn't sure why. She looked down to her hands, and looked back at James. Her stomach was tied in knots and she couldn't think properly, not with him around. "James."

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, love. This was so stupid. I feel like such an idiot, I wish I had never bought the damn thing. I was playing with fire."

She shook her head. The sound wasn't making its way to her throat and she was scared he would get the wrong idea. "No, James, just let me breathe, okay?"

He nodded, sitting on the edge of his bed, and she joined him sitting right beside. She rested her hand over his, on his knee. Blinking the tears back from her eyes, she looked to him. "Never in my life have I had someone make me feel the way you do. I remember when I used to hate you so much, and I didn't even have a reason why. I remember once, clearly, I laughed when you were making fun of Severus. It was heartless of me, but it made me realize I've never actually hated you."

"This is just making me feel worlds better."

"James." She looked to him, making sure he would keep quiet. "Alright. As I was saying, I've never hated you, probably because you've always made me feel so safe." He looked to her incredulously, a shy smile forming on her face. "Do you remember how you yelled at people in fourth year because they called Marlene and I mudbloods? And the year after, when Severus insulted me, you stuck around just to make sure I would be okay? I know there's many moments I'm missing before, after, and in between but you go out of your way to make sure I'm okay. You even do it unconsciously. It made me love you even more."

"What made you love me first?" He prodded.

She laughed quietly. "The beginning of seventh year. Potions. We were making a blood replenishing potion and I was really nervous about handling some of the ingredients. Instead of doing it for me, you told me jokes the entire time. I had such a good time that I forgot what I was handling, but I got everything correct. I remember you didn't even take credit for anything you had done, and you made everything perfect. You have a way of making everything perfect James."

"Even when I'm being a total arse?"

She chuckled. "Even when you're being a total arse."

He held the ring box tightly in his left hand, and she motioned for him to give it to her. He hesitated slightly, but handed the small black box to her. She cracked it open, looking at the ring again.

"It's rather large." She noted.

A pink tint fanned across his cheeks. "I didn't think it was too bad, you know. It's very you though. Sophisticated, well rounded, beautiful…"

"Such a charmer." She said dryly, causing a smirk on James' face. She took the ring from its box, sliding it onto her ring finger.

"Can you imagine this? Me being the illustrious and wealthy Lily Potter?"

"Who said anything about wealthy?" James joked. Lily smacked him in the arm.

"We're young. Too young. We're practically children, James." He looked at her strangely and back down to the ring on her hand. "And," she added, "We don't even have jobs. We're children without a steady income and we're going to be living on our own. Right now, it looks like we're going to be living in a box outside of Knockturn Alley."

"What are you going on about?" James asked, confused.

"If I was going to marry you," James's mouth opened in shock, but she put her finger over it quickly. "Before you interrupt. If I was going to marry you, we have no financial stability, no home, and no jobs."

"I'm an auror, you're a healer, and my dad has actually given me a small home that he and my mum used to own. It's mine when I want to move out."

"So, all we have to worry about really is that we're kids. And everyone at our wedding will probably think that I'm pregnant and we're getting eloped."

"Wedding?" James asked. She could tell by the light in his eye that he was more excited than nervous.

"If you still want to marry me, of course." She smirked, as James motioned for her hand, sliding the ring gently off her ring finger.

"Just give me a moment." He said, taking the little black box with him, and shutting the door to his bedroom. Before Lily could get up and get him to return, he came back in, a determined look on his face. He looked to her and dropped to one knee. She couldn't help the gasp that came from her mouth and the tears that came to her eyes.

"Lily Evans. I have loved you since I was fourteen years old. Every time I tried to show you, you turned me down. Now that I have you as my own, there is no better way to keep you close to me than to show you how much I care for you. I've wanted to marry you since we first went to Hogsmeade. I'm not a great cook, I'm quite messy, and I will want to snog you senseless every time I get home from work, but other than that I could say you've acquired a taste for me. So, Lily Evans, would you make me the happiest bloke alive and become Mrs. James Potter?"

Her emotions overcame her, a laugh and a tear escaping all at the same time as she quickly nodded. Her hand shook as James slipped the ring onto her finger, and she realized how real everything now was. She was engaged and in love. A boy who she used to dislike had now turned into the man that she was going to marry. She leaped into his arms, elated cries coming from her mouth.

"This all turned out so much better than I hoped." He laughed, holding her tightly.

"What can I say; I'm a sucker for your ring." She replied, trying to mask the sounds of her happy sobs.

"The only thing we have to do now is make a date."

"And tell our parents… and make arrangements, and find the best man and maid of honor, and plan the wedding and…."

"One step at a time Lily."

She laughed, looking to him. "I think we'll do just fine."


End file.
